Ventidius. Most honour'd Timon,
It hath pleased the gods to remember my father's age,
And call him to long peace.
He is gone happy, and has left me rich:
340Then, as in grateful virtue I am bound
To your free heart, I do return those talents,
Doubled with thanks and service, from whose help
I derived liberty.

Timon. O, by no means,
345Honest Ventidius; you mistake my love:
I gave it freely ever; and there's none
Can truly say he gives, if he receives:
If our betters play at that game, we must not dare
To imitate them; faults that are rich are fair.
350

Timon. Nay, my lords,
[They all stand ceremoniously looking on TIMON]Ceremony was but devised at first
To set a gloss on faint deeds, hollow welcomes,
355Recanting goodness, sorry ere 'tis shown;
But where there is true friendship, there needs none.
Pray, sit; more welcome are ye to my fortunes
Than my fortunes to me.

Apemantus. No;
You shall not make me welcome:
365I come to have thee thrust me out of doors.

Timon. Fie, thou'rt a churl; ye've got a humour there
Does not become a man: 'tis much to blame.
They say, my lords, 'ira furor brevis est;' but yond
man is ever angry. Go, let him have a table by
370himself, for he does neither affect company, nor is
he fit for't, indeed.

Timon. I take no heed of thee; thou'rt an Athenian,
375therefore welcome: I myself would have no power;
prithee, let my meat make thee silent.

Apemantus. I scorn thy meat; 'twould choke me, for I should
ne'er flatter thee. O you gods, what a number of
men eat Timon, and he sees 'em not! It grieves me
380to see so many dip their meat in one man's blood;
and all the madness is, he cheers them up too.
I wonder men dare trust themselves with men:
Methinks they should invite them without knives;
Good for their meat, and safer for their lives.
385There's much example for't; the fellow that sits
next him now, parts bread with him, pledges the
breath of him in a divided draught, is the readiest
man to kill him: 't has been proved. If I were a
huge man, I should fear to drink at meals;
390Lest they should spy my windpipe's dangerous notes:
Great men should drink with harness on their throats.

Apemantus. Flow this way! A brave fellow! he keeps his tides
395well. Those healths will make thee and thy state
look ill, Timon. Here's that which is too weak to
be a sinner, honest water, which ne'er left man i' the mire:
This and my food are equals; there's no odds:
Feasts are too proud to give thanks to the gods.
400Apemantus' grace.
Immortal gods, I crave no pelf;
I pray for no man but myself:
Grant I may never prove so fond,
To trust man on his oath or bond;
405Or a harlot, for her weeping;
Or a dog, that seems a-sleeping:
Or a keeper with my freedom;
Or my friends, if I should need 'em.
Amen. So fall to't:
410Rich men sin, and I eat root.
[Eats and drinks]Much good dich thy good heart, Apemantus!

Timon. You had rather be at a breakfast of enemies than a
dinner of friends.

Alcibiades. So the were bleeding-new, my lord, there's no meat
like 'em: I could wish my best friend at such a feast.

Apemantus. Would all those fatterers were thine enemies then,
420that then thou mightst kill 'em and bid me to 'em!

First Lord. Might we but have that happiness, my lord, that you
would once use our hearts, whereby we might express
some part of our zeals, we should think ourselves
for ever perfect.
425

Timon. O, no doubt, my good friends, but the gods
themselves have provided that I shall have much help
from you: how had you been my friends else? why
have you that charitable title from thousands, did
not you chiefly belong to my heart? I have told
430more of you to myself than you can with modesty
speak in your own behalf; and thus far I confirm
you. O you gods, think I, what need we have any
friends, if we should ne'er have need of 'em? they
were the most needless creatures living, should we
435ne'er have use for 'em, and would most resemble
sweet instruments hung up in cases that keep their
sounds to themselves. Why, I have often wished
myself poorer, that I might come nearer to you. We
are born to do benefits: and what better or
440properer can we can our own than the riches of our
friends? O, what a precious comfort 'tis, to have
so many, like brothers, commanding one another's
fortunes! O joy, e'en made away ere 't can be born!
Mine eyes cannot hold out water, methinks: to
445forget their faults, I drink to you.

Cupid. Hail to thee, worthy Timon, and to all
That of his bounties taste! The five best senses
465Acknowledge thee their patron; and come freely
To gratulate thy plenteous bosom: th' ear,
Taste, touch and smell, pleased from thy tale rise;
They only now come but to feast thine eyes.

First Lord. You see, my lord, how ample you're beloved.
[Music. Re-enter Cupid with a mask of Ladies]as Amazons, with lutes in their hands,
475dancing and playing]

Apemantus. Hoy-day, what a sweep of vanity comes this way!
They dance! they are mad women.
Like madness is the glory of this life.
As this pomp shows to a little oil and root.
480We make ourselves fools, to disport ourselves;
And spend our flatteries, to drink those men
Upon whose age we void it up again,
With poisonous spite and envy.
Who lives that's not depraved or depraves?
485Who dies, that bears not one spurn to their graves
Of their friends' gift?
I should fear those that dance before me now
Would one day stamp upon me: 't has been done;
Men shut their doors against a setting sun.
490[The Lords rise from table, with much adoring of]TIMON; and to show their loves, each singles out an
Amazon, and all dance, men with women, a lofty
strain or two to the hautboys, and cease]

Timon. You have done our pleasures much grace, fair ladies,
495Set a fair fashion on our entertainment,
Which was not half so beautiful and kind;
You have added worth unto 't and lustre,
And entertain'd me with mine own device;
I am to thank you for 't.
500

Flavius. Yes, my lord. More jewels yet!
There is no crossing him in 's humour;
[Aside]Else I should tell him,—well, i' faith I should,
When all's spent, he 'ld be cross'd then, an he could.
515'Tis pity bounty had not eyes behind,
That man might ne'er be wretched for his mind.

Second Servant. May it please your honour, Lord Lucius,
Out of his free love, hath presented to you
Four milk-white horses, trapp'd in silver.

Timon. I shall accept them fairly; let the presents
Be worthily entertain'd.
545[Enter a third Servant]How now! what news?

Third Servant. Please you, my lord, that honourable
gentleman, Lord Lucullus, entreats your company
to-morrow to hunt with him, and has sent your honour
550two brace of greyhounds.

Timon. I'll hunt with him; and let them be received,
Not without fair reward.

Flavius. [Aside] What will this come to?
He commands us to provide, and give great gifts,
555And all out of an empty coffer:
Nor will he know his purse, or yield me this,
To show him what a beggar his heart is,
Being of no power to make his wishes good:
His promises fly so beyond his state
560That what he speaks is all in debt; he owes
For every word: he is so kind that he now
Pays interest for 't; his land's put to their books.
Well, would I were gently put out of office
Before I were forced out!
565Happier is he that has no friend to feed
Than such that do e'en enemies exceed.
I bleed inwardly for my lord.

[Exit]

Timon. You do yourselves
570Much wrong, you bate too much of your own merits:
Here, my lord, a trifle of our love.

Timon. I take all and your several visitations
So kind to heart, 'tis not enough to give;
585Methinks, I could deal kingdoms to my friends,
And ne'er be weary. Alcibiades,
Thou art a soldier, therefore seldom rich;
It comes in charity to thee: for all thy living
Is 'mongst the dead, and all the lands thou hast
590Lie in a pitch'd field.

Apemantus. What a coil's here!
Serving of becks and jutting-out of bums!
I doubt whether their legs be worth the sums
That are given for 'em. Friendship's full of dregs:
605Methinks, false hearts should never have sound legs,
Thus honest fools lay out their wealth on court'sies.

Timon. Now, Apemantus, if thou wert not sullen, I would be
good to thee.

Apemantus. No, I'll nothing: for if I should be bribed too,
610there would be none left to rail upon thee, and then
thou wouldst sin the faster. Thou givest so long,
Timon, I fear me thou wilt give away thyself in
paper shortly: what need these feasts, pomps and
vain-glories?
615

Timon. Nay, an you begin to rail on society once, I am
sworn not to give regard to you. Farewell; and come
with better music.

[Exit]

Apemantus. So:
620Thou wilt not hear me now; thou shalt not then:
I'll lock thy heaven from thee.
O, that men's ears should be
To counsel deaf, but not to flattery!